Prosecutor makes decision in Jameson Williams gun case
First-round pick Jameson Williams after Detroit Lions rookie minicamp Saturday, May 14, 2022 at the Allen Park practice facility. Credit: Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will not face charges relating to a gun stop last month.
In a statement released Monday, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced that Williams will not be charged after an investigation into whether he was carrying a gun without a license during an October traffic stop. Worthy stated that Williams was not charged because the gun belonged to his brother, who did have a concealed pistol license. Williams would have been charged had the gun been on his person, but it was not.
“We have looked at this case thoroughly and objectively. We did not consider that Mr. Williams is a Detroit professional athlete in our decision making,” Worthy said. “We have charged Detroit area athletes before and would not have hesitated to do so again if the facts of this case could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
“We had a team of experienced lawyers look at this case — as we often do — especially when the law is unclear or unsettled. We all agreed that this decision is the right and just one. And I am personally certain that the right decision has been made with these specific and unique set of facts.”
— Ben Raven (@BenjaminSRaven) November 25, 2024
Detroit police had begun investigating why Williams was not arrested during the traffic stop in late October after it was reported on by local media. There was some suggestion that Williams may have received favorable treatment due to his status as a prominent Lions player, and there was a lack of clarity regarding whether the gun under Williams’ seat belonged to him or his brother.
Williams recently served a suspension for violating the league’s PED policy and is now back in action. The third-year receiver has caught 29 passes for 602 yards and four touchdowns in 2024, and both he and the Lions will be hoping his off-field issues are now behind him.
